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People in Snohomish County continue to make steady progress getting vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19, and opportunities to access that protection are taking on different forms, a press conference was told Tuesday.
Declining demand at mass-vaccination sites is being offset by more vaccine availability and opportunities through traditional health care providers. Meanwhile, the Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce is shifting its focus away from operating mass-vaccination sites and more toward setting up community-based clinics at schools, churches and special events, such as during AquaSox games tonight and tomorrow at Funko Field in Everett.
The taskforce last week hosted its first school-based clinic at Explorer Middle School in Everett. Most of the vaccines were provided to students ages 12 to 15, but the team also vaccinated some family members and neighbors who walked over to the school to get their shots, said Jason Biermann, director of the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management.
“All in all, we were able to get 235 people vaccinated at that event,” he said.
Younger people have been quick to access the Pfizer vaccine now that they are eligible for vaccination, Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District, told the press conference. As of May 26, roughly 27% of the county population ages 12-15 had initiated their vaccinations, he said.
The press conference also featured comments from Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers and Dr. Adam Jonas, District Medical Director, Snohomish, for Kaiser Permanente Washington.
The Executive said Memorial Day 2022 should coincide with the unveiling of a new art installation along the Centennial Trail at Haller Bridge in Arlington, honoring veterans lost in post 9/11 conflicts.
He also said the county expects this week to make available more Small Business Relief, Recovery, and Resiliency (R3) grant funding to businesses that had previously applied but did not receive aid.
“We are able to do this because we have been careful,” Somers said.
Dr. Jonas said Kaiser Permanente Washington is doing what it can to make it easy for patients to get vaccinated against COVID and to catch up on medical care that may have been delayed during the pandemic.
Jonas said he is aware that some people continue to be uncertain about the vaccines. He encourages them to approach doctors and other health care providers they trust to talk it through and provide the best advice.
“Let us help you make decisions about getting the vaccine,” Jonas said.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases continue to decline in the county, a development fueled in large measure by rising vaccination rates. There were 129 new COVID cases per 100,000 population during the latest two-week period, data show.
Find a video recording of the full briefing here: https://youtu.be/l3FXC6PykvI
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Gov. Jay Inslee says he plans to relax COVID restrictions in Washington on June 30 – even earlier if 70% or more of the state’s population 16 and up initiates vaccination. In Snohomish County, we were at 63.3% for that metric as of May 30. As the county with the state's third-largest population, we can have an outsized impact in helping hit the 70% mark.
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“If you’re going to get the vaccine, now’s the time to do it … The more people who get vaccinated, the sooner we can open the state, and the sooner we can all get back to what we enjoyed doing before this all started.”
-- Rob Knowles, Northwest Carpenters Union
Why do you vax?
#vaxupsnoco
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Even if you’ve already had COVID, you should still get vaccinated. We don’t yet have enough information to say how long the natural immunity your body builds from having the infection lasts. We do know it is possible to become sick more than once with COVID.
More info here: www.snohd.org/covidvaccine
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A Snohomish Health District program designed to combat the spread of COVID-19 in child-care settings statewide has won national recognition.
The National Association of City and County Health Officials last week honored the Health District’s Child Care Health Outreach team as one of its 2021 Innovative Practice Award Winners. The awards recognized work done by 33 local health department programs across the country.
The Health District’s team earned a Bronze Award for creating an online training course to disseminate accurate COVID-19 guidance practices for child care providers caring for children across the state.
The course provided prevention strategies for controlling the spread of the virus and provided participants with in-service credit, helping them meet in-service credit requirements for licensing. Under a partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics Washington Chapter, the course was offered free of charge.
The course was launched in May 2020. So far, it has been completed by more than 3,000 users in 35 of the state’s 39 counties.
As a Bronze Awardee, the child care program will, among other things, receive a $2,000 award for services from Contakt World, a technology and public health communications company.
“This is quite an honor for the Health District, and I’m incredibly proud of the team’s innovative work that benefits our entire state,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer with the Snohomish Health District.
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That postcard or letter you got in the mail about the WAVES survey? Don’t throw it away! If you received it, you’re one of about 8,000 people randomly chosen to take part in the WAshington coronaVirus Exposure Survey (WAVES). Please respond! It will help scientists from UW Medicine and the Washington State Department of Health understand the spread of COVID-19 in the state. Learn more: https://thewavesurvey.org/Home
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The state Department of Health continues its series focusing on mental health and the pandemic. They are exploring the “Four Rs” of mental health: Reflect, Release, Restore and Rise. This second article focuses on release:
The pandemic has shed light on the severity and prevalence of existing mental health conditions in the U.S. — giving behavioral health and well-being a much-needed, new context.
Whether you’re personally struggling or not, it’s likely you know someone who is. About 1 in 5 Americans experiences some form of mental illness in any given year, and according to the experts that number has grown since the pandemic. Despite the prevalence, it can be difficult to know how to best support yourself and others who are struggling. Having honest discussions with people you trust and educating yourself is an important first step in bringing compassion, awareness and openness to this national crisis.
Read the full post.
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There’s a lot at stake for businesses as they develop new methods and tactics to keep employees and customers safe.
The Department of Health hosted a micro-summit to discuss the evolving workplace. The event featured business leaders from the Seattle Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Building Industry Association of Washington, Washington Department of Labor & Industries, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Amazon, Washington State Department of Commerce and Alaska Airlines.
If you own a business or are involved in employer back-to-work plans, you may be thinking about how to conduct business in the future. Check out the webinar recording to learn the top tips for office transitions from Washington state business experts.
As you watch, keep in mind that this webinar was recorded on April 29, 2021. Some of the information may be outdated following the new CDC guidance about fully vaccinated individuals and masks. We encourage you to visit here for the latest information.
See the full post for more information.
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The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an FCC program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more. The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.
Learn more: fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit.
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Long-distance rail service in Washington returned May 24 after dialing back during the COVID pandemic. The Coast Starlight and Empire Builder routes returned to service this week.
Amtrak had been planning since March to restore daily service for 12 long distance routes across the country following pandemic-related schedule reductions in 2020. The new schedule has been updated on all Amtrak reservation systems, including Amtrak.com and the Amtrak app.
Due to COVID relief funding, Amtrak will sustain and restore operations and recall the more than 1,200 furloughed employees through the remainder of FY21 and into FY22.
“Offering daily long-distance service represents a vital step in our road to recovery,” said Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn.
See the full press release for more details.
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In partnership with the Lake Stevens Farmers Market, the City of Lake Stevens is thrilled to announce the 2021 Lake Stevens Farmers Market season, returning to North Cove Park, Wednesdays 3 - 7 p.m. June 2 - September 29.
The overwhelming success of the 2020 season has led to a longer market season for 2021! Sarah Dylan Jensen, Market Manager, has an amazing mix of new and returning vendors ready to serve the community every week. Visit the market's website for a list of current vendors.
The City and the Lake Stevens Farmers Market in line with the current CDC & state COVID-19 guidelines, ask that you respect our staff, patrons, vendors & volunteers by observing distancing, capacity regulations, and other current recommendations.
Farmers markets are essential services, operating safely in full compliance with public health directives, and providing a vital link between neighbors needing healthy food and hundreds of Washington farmers and food producers. However, market operations can change in response to our local and state health department's directives. The 2021 market season will continue as needed:
- Use of signage indicating the need to observe distancing, capacity regulations, and other current recommendations.
- Potential offer of high-risk shopping time opportunities.
- Vendors will adjust their booths, displays, touch zones, and packaged foods to go rather than in open containers.
See the full press release for more details.
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There are so many things you can do this summer once you get vaccinated. Don't miss out on the opportunity to enjoy them. Register for your vaccine here: http://bit.ly/snocovaccine. #VaxUpSnoco
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Cumulative from January 2020 through June 1, 2021
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ESSENTIAL LINKS AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
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